Tributes are pouring in on social media for 25-year-old US Air Force member, Aaron Bushnell, who lost his life after setting himself on fire in protest against Israel’s occupation of Gaza.
The bold young man self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC, saying he could no longer be complicit in genocide.
In his last words, Bushnell called for a Free Palestine and said his pain could never compare to what Palestinians are going through.
🚨🇺🇸 FOOTAGE OF ACTIVE DUTY OFFICER THAT SET HIMSELF ON FIRE
Source: @SuppressedNws https://t.co/dbKAlLXc7J https://t.co/q8JPjd0WF9
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 26, 2024
Social media users from around the world have described the 25-year-old’s move as a wake-up call to
The tragedy, which has taken the globe by storm, comes as efforts to a permanent solution to the long-standing Middle East conflict gain momentum.
South Africa has taken the fore in the fight to halt Israel’s deadly assault on Palestinian territory.
Close to 30 000 people have died in the recent fighting that was sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel in October last year.
Last month, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to do everything in its power to ensure that acts of genocide are avoided in the conflict, among other provisional measures.
The top UN court also found that there was prima facie evidence of a genocide taking place in Gaza.
The South African Zionist Federation believes that, like the ICJ’s ruling, Bushnell’s actions won’t have any impact on the deadly conflict.
SA Zionist federation spokesperson, Rolene Marks, says the lives lost in the war between Israel and Palestine cannot be compared with the high murder rate South Africans are daily contending with.
Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has on the other hand vehemently rejected the ICJ ruling, saying Israel will continue to defend itself and its citizens.
BREAKING: BENJAMIN NETANYAHU OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON ICJ RULING
“Israel’s commitment to international law is unshakable. Equally unshakable is our sacred commitment to continue to defend our country and protect our people.
Like any country, Israel has an inherent right to defend… pic.twitter.com/yRsMyGFALj
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) January 26, 2024
Written by: Lindiwe Mpanza
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